Combination bag and box



Feb. 11, 1969 J. F. OLSON 3,426,955

COMBINATION BAG 'AND Box Filed Sept. 16, 1966 INVENTOR JEROME E OlSO/V Feb. 1 1, 1969 J. F. OLSON 3,426,955

COMBINATION BAG AND BOX Filed Sept. 1@, 1966 Sheet 2 of 2 5 INVENTOR a/FROME E Ozso/v F/G. 7 BY ATTORNEY United States Patent 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention discloses a bag in box combination in which a flat bag having one closed lower end is folded within a carton blank. The carton blank includes alternate side and end walls connected in tubular relation by an internal glue flap. Closure flaps are hinged to the upper and lower edges of the side and end walls to form carton closures. The bag is secured to the carton blank in such a manner as to open up when the carton is squared up. One end wall top closure flap includes a partially detachable area hinged to the upper edge of the end Wall to which the closure flap is secured. The bag is secured to this area. This side wall closure flap overlying the end wall closure flaps is provided with a detachable area. The other or uppermost side wall closure flap is divided into two sections by a weakened line of separation extending from the end of this flap to the fold line connecting it to its side wall. One section overlying the detachable area may be hinged up to expose the detachable area.

This invention relates to an improvement in combination bag and box and deals particularly with a carton including a bag of plastic film and in the method of forming the structure.

The packaging of fluids, semi-fluids, and flowable materials in paperboard cartons has substantially increased in recent years. Most such packages include an outer shell of paperboard, and an inner bag of plastic sheeting or similar material. The contents of the package are usually hermetically sealed within the inside bag, while the outside shell or paperboard carton serves to protect the bag and to hold it in a rectangular shape.

One of the major difficulties in producing packages of this type lies in the fact that the operation of filling the bag and inserting the bag into the outer carton is often impractical due to the high labor costs involved. In order to be practical, it is almost necesary to secure the bag to the inside surface of the carton blank so that when the carton is opened up from flat form to rectangular form, the inside bag will also open up. This operation is complicated by the fact that the bags are usually formed of a tube of plastic which is sealed fiat across one end. If the flat sealed bag is secured to the inner surface of the carton blank and to the closure flaps, the scoring of the carton tends to close the flaps to which the bag is connected. This usually requires that the bag tear loose from the majority of the closure flaps during the closing operation. On the other hand, if the bag is originally not anchored to at least two of the closure flaps when the carton blank is flat, the bag is usually folded or wrinkled when the carton is sealed along the manufacturers joint.

It has been found that by using an adhesive which remains permanently tacky, such as resin, emulsion glue or a latex container adhesive, the bag may be secured flat in the blank and will remain in place during the formation of the manufacturers joint. At the same time, when the carton is squared up the bag will tear free of three of the closure flaps during this operation.

A further diificulty, which has been experienced in cartons containing bags, lies in the fact that it is difiicult to open the inside bag without opening the entire end of the carton. in structures in which the bag is to contain a material which is used from time to time, it is desirable to provide a means of pouring out a small portion of the products at a time. A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a weakened line of separation defining a potential flap in one of the closing flaps to which the surface of the bag end is secured. The flap is located along the fold line connecting the closing flap to its carton side wall. By tearing the flap along the weakened line and hinging this area upwardly, a portion of the bag end will be drawn through the aperture left in the closure flap so that it is readily accessible for opening.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the flat bags may be adhered to a surface of the flat paperboard blanks in one operation, and the blanks thus formed may be completed by applying adhesive to both sides of the glue flap when the manufact-urers joint is formed. This not only seals the carton but also attaches the wall of the bag body to the outer shell inwardly of the manufacturers joint to insure the proper opening of the bag when the carton is squared up.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the filled carton in closed form.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a corner of the carton showing the first step of opening the carton.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a corner of the carton after it has been opened and the bag unsealed.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the carton after it has been partially reclosed.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the reclosed carton.

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the carton is formed.

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of the flat folded carton.

FIGURE 8 is a horizontal sectional view through the walls of the carton as it is squared up toward rectangular form.

The carton A is formed on the blank best illustrated in FIGURE 6 of the drawings. The blank A includes an end wall 10, a side wall 11, a second end wall 12, and a second side wall 13 which are hangedly connected in series along parallel fold lines 14, 15, and 16. A glue flap 17 is hingedly connected to an edge of the blank, such as the edge of the side wall 13, along a fold line 19 which is parallel to the previously described fold lines.

Bottom closure flaps 20, 21, 22 and 23 are foldably connected to the lower edges of the wall panels along a fold line 24 which is at right angles to the previously described fold lines. Top closure flaps 25, 26, 27, and 29 are foldably connected to the upper edges of the wall panels 10, 11, 12, and 13 along a substantially common line of fold 30'. The fold line 30 is parallel to the fold line 24.

The end wall closure flap 27 is provided with a generally triangular or U-shaped partially detachable area 31. This partially detachable area 31 is degned by a generally U-shaped cut line 32, the ends of which are connected by diverging weakened lines of separation 36 and 34 which terminate at the fold line 30. In order to gain access to the partially detachable area 31, a registrable detachable area 35 is provided in an edge of the closure flap 29. This detachable area 35 is defined by a generally -U-shaped cut line 36, and diverging weakened lines of separation 37 and 39 which extend from the ends of the U-shaped out line 36 to the end edge of the closure flap 29 which is substantially aligned with the fold line 16. When the end and side walls 12 and 13 are folded into right angular relation, the closure flap 29 is folded over the closure flap 27, the entire area of the partially detachable portion 3 1 may be exposed by removing the slightly larger and similarly shaped detachable area 35. If desired, a U-shaped out line 40 may be provided in the flap 29 having its ends in communication with the U-shaped cut line 36 so as to form. a crescent-shaped aperture in the panel 29 to simplify the grasping of the detachable area 35.

The flap 26 which is the outermost flap of the series, when the carton is closed is divided into two sections by a weakened line of separation 41 which extends at right angles to the fold line 30, or parallel to the end edges of the flap 26. The area 42 on one side of the weakened line 41 is cut to provide a short locking tongue 43. A generally U-shaped slit 44 is provided in the closing flap 29. This slit 44 is designed to accommodate the locking tongue 43 when the carton is reclosed.

The bag B is of a width substantially equal to the combined widths of the wall panels 11 and 12, and is of a length slightly greater than the combined lengths of the wall panels and the closing fiaps connected thereto. The bag B is preferably attached overlying the panels 11 and 12, and secured thereto along strips of adhesive 45 and 46 in the panel 11 near the fold lines 14 and 15 respectively, and along a third strip of adhesive 47 extending the height of the end wall panel 12 near the fold line 16. The end 49 of the bag B which overlies the bottom closing flaps 21 and 22 is sealed closed along a transverse seam while the opposite or upper end of the bag is open. As is also indicated, the surface of the bag is also attached to the partially detachable area 31 along an area of adhesive 50 which generally follows the contour of the area 31.

In the closing of the carton, adhesive is applied to both sides of the glue flap 17, one such area being indicated at 51. The adhesive area 51 is preferably the same type of adhesive as is used in the areas 45, 46, 47 and 50. The adhesive is of a type which remains permanently tacky, such as resin, emulsion glue, or a latex adhesive. The adhesive applied to the undersurface of the glue flap 17 may be of any type capable of adhering the paperboard surfaces together.

When the wall panel .13 and glue flap 17 is folded along the fold line 16, the glue flap comes into contact with the upper surface of the bag. The Wall panel 10 is then folded to overlie the glue flap 17 and to be adhered thereto. A flat carton blank having the flat bag therein is formed in this manner.

When the bag is used, the various wall panels are squared up, and the bag opens up with the carton due to its adhesive attachment with three of the carton walls. The bottom of the carton is sealed in the conventional manner, usually by folding the flaps 20 and 22 into coplaner relation and folding the flaps 21 and 23 into surface contact beneath the flaps 20 and 22. The carton thus formed is filled in any desired manner, and the top of the bag is usually sealed together. This is usually done while the flaps 25 and 27 have been folded outwardly into a common plane. The top of the carton is then closed by folding the flaps 25 and 27 inwardly into a common plane, folding the flap 29 downwardly into face contact with the inner flaps 25 and 27, and folding the flap 27 down over the flap 29. The area 42 of the flap 26 is not securely adhered to the removable area 35 of the flap 36.

When the carton is to be opened to remove a portion of the contents, the locking tongue 43 is grasped and the area 42 of the outer flap 26 is hinged upwardly, tearing the flap along the weakened line of separation 41. This exposes the removable area 35. By engaging the end of this removable area and tearing the paperboard along the diverging weakened lines 37 and 39, the area 35 may be separated and discarded. This discloses the slightly smaller partially detachable area 31. This area 31 is hinged upwardly along the fold line 30, tearing the paperboard along the diverging lines 33 and 34. As the area 31 is hinged upwardly, the portion of the bag which is adhered to the inner surface of this portion is pulled upwardly through the opening. As a result, a corner of the bag is automatically swung into readily accessible position. The bag corner may then be opened in any desired manner by breaking the adhesive seal or by cutting off a corner of the bag. The desired amount of the contents may then be removed from the bag. In reclosing the carton, the area 31 is merely sw'ung down into the plane of the remainder of the closing flap 27, the portion 42 of the flap 26 is folded down, and the locking tongue 43 inserted into the locking slit 44. When in this position, the top closure appears as indicated in FIGURE 5 of the drawings.

I claim:

1. A combination bag and box including:

a rectangular carton having tubularly arranged side and end walls,

a bottom closure for the lower ends of said walls,

a tubular sheet plastic bag within said carton and being substantially coextensive with the walls of said carton,

a bottom and top closure on said bag,

top closure flaps hingedly connected to said side and end walls and folded into superposed relation with said end wall closure flaps innermost,

a partially detachable area in one of said end wall closure flaps said detachable area being hingedly connected to the end wall to which said one end wall closure flap is hingedly connected, and

means attaching the under surface of said one end wall closure flap to said bag and operable to pull a portion of the bag through said one end wall closure flap when said partiallydetachable area is hinged upwardly,

one of said side wall top closure flaps overlying said one end wall closure flap and in face contact therewith,

a detachable area in said one side wall top closure flap overlying said partially detachable area in said one end wall closure flap and operable when detached to expose said partially detachable area,

the other side wall top closure flap overlying said one side wall closure flap and secured in face contact therewith,

a weakened line of separation extending across the said other side wall closure flap from the end thereof to the hinge connection connecting said other side wall closure flap to the side wall to which it is hinged, permitting the portion of this closure flap overlying said detachable 'area to hinge independently of the remainder thereof.

2. The structure of claim 1 and in which said bag is attached to said carton body along both vertical edges of one side wall panel, the edge of said one end wall panel most remote from said one side wall, and to the edge of the other of said side wall panels along the edge thereof adjoining the other said end wall panel.

3. A flat folded structure adapted to form 'a bag and box structure including a paperboard carton including a first end wall panel, a first side wall panel, a second end wall panel and a second side wall panel foldably connected in series,

a glue flap hinged to a panel at one end of said series and attached to the inner surface of the panel at the other end of said series,

top and bottom closure flaps connected to said panels and adapted to form end closures,

a flat bag overlying said first side wall panel and second end wall panel and secured thereto to extend substantially the full width thereof and overlying the closure flaps secured thereto,

said first end wall panel and said second side wall panel overlying said bag with said glue flap secured to said one end of said bag being closed,

a partially detachable area in the top closure flap secured to said second end wall panel underlying the open end of the bag and hingedly connected to said second end wall panel along the fold line hingedly connecting said second end wall panel to its top closure flap, and

means attaching said partially detachable area to said bag.

4. The structure of claim 3 and in which said bag is attached to said first side wall panel adjoining opposite side edges thereof, and to said second end wall panel along the edge thereof adjoining said second side wall panel.

5. The structure of claim 4 and in which said glue flap is hinged to said second side wall panel.

6. The structure of claim 3 and including a weakened line of separation extending across said top closure flap hinged to said first side wall panel and providing a pair of closure flap portions, one of which is adapted to overlie said partially detachable area when said closure flaps are closed.

7. The structure of claim 6 and in which the closure flap secured to said second side wall panel overlies the open end of said bag and includes a detachable section adapted to overlie said partially detachable area at said closure flap secured to said second end wall panel when 5 said closures are closed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 1,020,536 3/1912 Byrne 229-44 X 2,364,576 12/1944 Waters 22.914 2,593,778 4/1952 McGinnis 229'14 X 2,946,496 7/1960 Stagmeier 229-17 3,136,471 6/ 1964 Brastad 22914 15 3,184,117 5/1965 Sanderson 222-183 DONALD F. NORTON, Primary Examiner.

us. 01. X.R. 20 229-14 

